Bruises and Books
by Roseclaw
Summary: 30 Kisses Challenge. Percy and Marcus slash. Thirty days, thirty challenges.
1. Perfect Blue

All rights and privileges to Harry Potter are copyrighted trademarks and property of J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and all peoples associated. The characters of these fictions are used WITHOUT permission for the entertainment purposes only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. As if anyone would actually pay money for this thoughtless drivel. And even if they like it, it's right here and money is not required. So there! Bottom line: I don't own them I just like to play God with them. Like an ant walking back and forth across my feet for what seems like miles upon miles. Or a bug with a magnifying glass as it slowly burns into nothingness. Ahem Yes, I don't own them. Never have. Never will. Sigh

**A/N**: 30 Kisses Challenge. For the month of April I will be updating this 30 Kisses Challenge: one a day. Aren't I clever? Instead of working on things I should I have worked on like polishing off the last chapter of _Riptide_, I've been working on this. There will be thirty chapters and they will be in chronological order because I'm anal like that. I'm rather proud of myself for not going in both numerical and chronological order. The only out of order chapter will be the last one. You'll see what I mean. This does **not** parallel _Superstars_ or _What I Might Need_. I couldn't come up with a creative title, so I used the name of the 'ship. I'm gonna do all of them in one big post, not thirty little ones, cuz that seems excessive to me. I am using the livejournal challenge, but as I do not have a public livejournal, I will not be signing up and such.

This first little fic is for those who have seen the movie Perfect Blue. It's a really fucked up movie, for those who haven't seen it.

Bruises and Books

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15. Perfect Blue

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Marcus studied his reflection in the mirror. The mirror and he agreed that he was not a looker. But that didn't matter: Marcus didn't care what he looked like. All he cared about was playing quidditch. And possibly the Dark Arts… but mostly playing quidditch.

Another boy chose the moment the mirror was yelling at Marcus to enter the loo on the Hogwarts Express.

"Excuse me, who are you?" the boy asked.

"No one to be messed with," Marcus growled in return.

"I'm Percy." Percy refused to give his family name. Marcus would find out soon enough, if he didn't know already by the red hair. "You should listen to the mirror."

Marcus didn't know if he should wait for the train to stop or not before he hit Percy. Marcus eventually decided that he wasn't patient enough to wait until they arrived.

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The next chapter will be up tomorrow.


	2. Invincible

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16. Invincible

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Percy knew that he was brilliant when it came to his studies. Unfortunately that brilliance did not show when he socialized. He tried, but nothing that he did ever worked out the way he had planned. But he kept trying. The twins laughed at his pitiful attempts, but his older brothers commended it. Oliver encouraged it. Marcus exploited it.

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Sorry about the length. Some of these are really short, others aren't...

Next update will be tomorrow. Wee!

Let me know what you think.


	3. Our Distance and That Person

Bruises and Books

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4. Our Distance and That Person

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Percy hated the hollow feeling in his chest. He could have sworn that he had been stalked by Marcus Flint for the past year and a half. Apparently he had been mistaken. Marcus was just… always there. That, however, was no reason to feel hollow. Percy had let his imagination run away with him. It had _hurt_ when he had stumbled upon Marcus and some pretty Hufflepuff sharing a tender moment. Of course, Marcus had also punched him.

But there was no way that his imagination could not have been founded with a bit of truth, no matter how small. Percy studied Marcus closely. Eventually Percy realized that he wanted to have Marcus stalk him – he wanted Marcus to share moments with him – he wanted Marcus.

This did not sit well with Percy. He became stricter and more tightly wound. The twins turned Percy's temper into a game. Oliver became worried. No one else noticed a difference.

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Here's the next chapter.

Thank you to my lovely reviewers. You guys are awesome. darkestNoir, don't worry, there are twenty seven chapters left: there will be more development. Don't Panic, thanks so much for your continuing support. :huggles:

The next update is tomorrow, kiddies!

And as always, let me know what you think.


	4. If Only I Could Make You Mine

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26. if only I could make you mine

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Percy was staring blankly out the window when Oliver stumbled upon him. He hated it when Percy brooded: it always dampened the overall mood in their dormitory. Percy was well aware of Oliver's distaste for his self-pitying bouts, but that never stopped him. Whenever Percy brooded he thought about aspects of his life that he felt desperately needed to be changed. Oliver knew of this, and he felt that Percy was just fine the way he was. He had told Percy so on many occasions. Oliver hated it when Percy brooded because it meant that he was thinking about something he could never obtain. Percy thought too much about Marcus Flint. And Oliver hated it.

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Sorry guys, I got a little ahead of myself!


	5. Look Over Here

Bruises and Books

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1. Look Over Here

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It was too easy for Marcus to attract negative attention to himself. He had perfected it, turned it into a fine art, and there was nothing wrong with that. Except that he didn't know how to obtain attention in a positive way. He had tried unsuccessfully for months on end and he was rewarded with approximately fifty lost house points. It reached a point where he growled words of love and finally smashed his mouth against Percy's. Percy took ten points from Slytherin.

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Hey guys, I was stupid and posted a chapter out of order. So I replaced it with the real chapter, so check that out.

See you all tomorrow.


	6. Red

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19. red

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Marcus had a short fuse. Everyone in Hogwarts knew that. Percy had no idea why that meant Marcus had to take all of his aggression out on him. Over the years the violent aggression turned to bitter resentment and the bitter resentment morphed into passionate anger. The passionate anger then regressed to simply passion.

Percy never complained once. He had privately declared himself a masochist long ago. Marcus complained about Percy's compliancy all the time. Percy had never asked Marcus why he did it. This disappointed Marcus: he really wanted to explain his reasoning to Percy. Marcus only saw red when he looked at Percy. At first he thought that the red was anger and then he thought it was passion, but later he learned that the red was only the color of Percy's hair.

It bothered Marcus that Percy was never curious enough to ask.

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Here is the right place for this chapter. Sorry it was originally out of order.

Please let me know what you think. I've been having a crappy week and would like something to take my mind off of it.


	7. The Space Between Dream and Reality

Bruises and Books

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6. the space between dream and reality

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Cupid's Bow

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It wasn't real. He knew that from the beginning. Humid flesh sticking, arching, throbbing, bucking, rolling, moving – moving, moving together and apart along with his sanity. Every one of his nerves sang out, quivering. He compared it to Cupid's bow string, but even his imagination knew better. Their tongues battled in a feral attempt to gain control. And they peaked. There was more fluid than he had anticipated… and he had anticipated this more than he cared to admit. But it wasn't real.

Even though it wasn't real Percy couldn't look Marcus in the eye. Because he knew Marcus knew.

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I kinda cheated on this one by copying and pasting from another fic...

Thank you to my lovely reviewers. You guys make my day so much better.


	8. Hey, You Know

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5. Hey, You Know...

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Marcus was pacing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and had been for the past ten minutes. No Gryffindor had entered or left. That fact did not help to settle his frayed nerves. It was absolutely ridiculous that he was nervous; he had no reason at all to be nervous. None. Yet he continued to pace.

It would figure that the first Gryffindor to leave was Oliver Wood. What completely threw Marcus off was that Oliver acknowledged him.

"He's sitting up there," Oliver spat. "He's sitting up there and _brooding_."

Marcus stared at Oliver uncomprehendingly.

"Merlin! He won't stop thinking about _you_!" Oliver shouted.

Marcus furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Just, just go up there!" Oliver opened the portrait hole for Marcus, who crawled through in a daze.

He found Percy staring out the window in the seventh year's dorm.

"Go away, Oliver," Percy grumbled.

When no one responded, Percy turned around. He was greeted with the sight of a sheepish Marcus.

Marcus brought a hand to the back of his neck. "Hey…"

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Here's a relatively long instalment for you guys. Much love to darkestNoir and Don't Panic.

Until next time.


	9. Candy

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23. Candy

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"Marcus, why are we going into Honeydukes?" Percy demanded from the threshold that Marcus had already crossed.

"They're having a sale on chocolate."

"I can see that, but why do you want me to go in with you?"

"Moral support."

"Marcus, don't be daft."

"You won't regret it," Marcus sang tauntingly.

"I already do," Percy sighed, entering the store. "When will I stop regretting this?"

"Tonight." Percy gave Marcus an odd look. "Around nine…" Marcus lowered his voice so that only Percy could hear him "In Greenhouse Four."

Percy blushed. "You don't mean – "

"I do."

"Merlin!"

Percy stayed in the store the full forty five minutes that Marcus did.

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	10. Good Night

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24. good night

Very rarely did Percy sleep well. He was always awake into the small hours of the morning reading or writing or worrying. There were nights when Oliver became so worried about the boy that he drugged Percy into sleep. Percy never suspected his dorm mate would ever drug him, and he attributed his sudden fatigue to having never slept well, which was not outside the realm of possibility.

Oliver found that he had to drug Percy less a month into their last year at Hogwarts. Percy had found a new drug to help him with his insomnia. Oliver did not know of this until one morning he was brave enough to ask Percy if he had slept well. Percy smiled lazily and declared that he had a good night. Oliver was not pleased to discover that Percy was not alone in his bed. Oliver was actually disgusted with Marcus Flint being in Percy's bed, but it had helped Percy sleep, and that was what ultimately mattered.

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Whee! A kinda mushy one...

Please review, and I'll love you forever!


	11. The Sound of Waves

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29. the sound of waves

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Marcus was confused when he passed through the fifth floor corridor and heard splashing. He ignored it and hurried off to class. When he returned from class he could still hear the splashing. Marcus decided that he should inform the Headboy of the noise. He didn't feel that it was something he as a good citizen would do; he just wanted to bother Percy.

It turned out that a new Prefect had left the taps running, but it gave Marcus the excuse to corner Percy in the bath.

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La! Please review, guys! I know you're reading - I can see the stats go up!


	12. Excessive Chain

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13. Excessive chain

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"Percy," Marcus said condescendingly. "Don't do that."

"It's – it's like I'm some sort of animal that you need to keep on a leash!" Percy sputtered indignantly.

"Just because you're an animal, doesn't mean that I need to keep you on a leash," Marcus responded evenly.

"I'm going and that's my decision, not yours," Percy said firmly.

"Enjoy," Marcus leered.

"What does _that_ mean?" Percy demanded hotly.

"It means that you're going to hurt yourself." Percy growled in frustration. "And I'm not going to help you after you do."

"Fine!"

Percy stalked off.

Marcus just shook his head.

---

This is obviously continuted in the next part tomorrow. Much, much love to darkestNoir and Don't Panic. You guys are soooo awesome!


	13. Jolt

Bruises and Books

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3. Jolt!

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Marcus awoke instantly; he did not ease into consciousness as he usually did. Something was different about his dormitory. Adrenaline surged through his body as he wildly scanned the room. There was a massive black dog at the foot of his bed.

"What the – "

The dog regarded him with a curious look before trotting off. He stopped in the doorway, turning to see if Marcus was following, which he was not. The dog gave a soft whine followed by a snort.

Marcus, unsure of whether or not he had gone mad, hesitantly climbed out of his bed and followed the dog, which had become enthusiastic now that Marcus was following him. Had it not been in the small hours of the morning, Marcus would never have followed a large dog, or any dog for that matter, to an unknown destination. The dog kept going up stairs and Marcus followed. They passed the Gryffindor tower and the dog acknowledged it with a quick nod.

The dog led him to the owlry.

"You came!" Floated enthusiastically through the darkness.

"Lumos." The dog scampered back down the stairs.

Percy Weasley was sitting in a pool of his own blood, his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

Marcus did not say a word; he walked over and light cuffed Percy on the head. Percy whimpered. With a sigh, Marcus cast a healing spell. They both stared at each other for a long time before Marcus helped Percy to his feet.

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I have no idea why Sirius is in this part, it just kinda got away from me.

Thank you to everyone who responded! darkestNoir, imakeeper, and Don't Panic!

As for what is going on with Oliver... um... well, I have no idea. I kinda just assumed that he was Percy's friend and he didn't approve of Marcus. Other than that, let your imagination run free!


	14. Fence

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25. fence

Marcus stared at the wall across from his desk in the library. It was a plain wall, nothing too extravagant or too bare. The wall kept his attention, even though Marcus did not fully realize that he was giving it. He didn't like to admit the cause of his distraction, even to himself, but he was distracted. Fine, he was distracted by Percy Weasley. There, now go away and let Marcus daydream in peace. Well, Marcus wasn't exactly peaceful when he daydreamed, especially when Percy interrupted his daydreams.

"Marcus, you need to focus on your essay," Percy said in that holier-than-thou attitude of his that only succeeded in annoying Marcus.

Marcus wanted to say many things in return, none of them nice. He, however, responded with a grunt that could have meant anything. Percy was surrounded by an impenetrable fortress: nothing would bring the boy down to his knees.

Marcus scribbled out three more words before he was distracted again. This time it was by Percy studying him.

"What?" Marcus ground out.

Percy simply continued to stare.

Marcus became only more irritated. "What is it, Weasley?"

"You have this wall about you, I find it curious."

Marcus scoffed at the irony.

While he was distracted, Percy swooped down and stole a kiss.

This irritated Marcus further: how dare Percy break through his wall while he was unable to do so with Percy.

Marcus growled and pinned Percy down on his chair while he all but climbed into Percy's lap to gain access to his mouth.

Marcus didn't finish his essay.

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	15. Dash

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9. dash

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Marcus was late for class. It was the third time in as many days. There was something wrong with his morning alarm, and he had a suspicion it had to do with his dorm mates. He ran down the hallways while tying his tie and magically lacing his shoes. He quickly realized his folly when he spotted the Headboy helping a lost first year. Marcus had already started careening down the hallway and it was too late to change course. He did, however, slow down to a fast walk as not to attract too much unwanted attention.

It did not matter anyway. Percy was in a benevolent mood, but he did stop Marcus to warn him of the dangers of running in the hallways while preoccupied with something as simple as his tie. Marcus watched speechlessly as Percy tied his tie for him.

"A point from Slytherin for running in the halls," Percy declared, staring down at Marcus.

"What?" Marcus growled.

"You should not be running in the halls," Percy pointed out.

"You didn't care when – " Percy cut Marcus off with a hand over his mouth.

"You're already late, Flint, I don't see how showing up for the last ten minutes of class will benefit you in any way."

Marcus smirked against Percy's hand. "So what do you suggest I do with my ten minutes?"

Percy smiled kindly. He removed his hand from Marcus's mouth and replaced it with his own mouth. Marcus moaned in appreciation and again in bereft when Percy let his mouth go.

"I suggest that you finish your Charms essay."

Marcus grumbled in distaste but skulked back to his dorm to finish writing the essay. It was Percy's fault he hadn't finished in the first place.

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Thanks to everyone who's responded. Sorry I didn't thank people last time, but my computer died... again. Good thing I have these saved to this site. 


	16. Number Ten

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10. #10

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Percy secretly loved to watch Marcus fly. He was so graceful in the air, a grace that never transferred when he was grounded. At some points Percy was disappointed by the lack of grace, but at other points he found other attributes to focus on. Percy eventually informed Marcus of this. Marcus laughed at him, especially after Percy confessed that he loathed flying. Marcus teased Percy about it. One time he literally dragged Percy onto his broom and they flew off together. Percy clung fiercely onto Marcus. When Marcus landed them back on the ground, Percy tried to punch him. Instead Marcus snatched his hand mid punch and drew Percy taut against his body. With a smirk, Marcus explained that Percy too could fly with grace. Percy frowned in confusion until Marcus sucked his breath away.

When they graduated, Marcus gave Percy his quidditch jersey as an invitation to fly whenever he wanted.

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And another disgustingly sweet chapter...

Thanks to my reviewers! Don't Panic - I love you! imakeeper - thanks! There's not going to be any smut in thsi story (other than an earlier chapter); I'm saving the smut for _What I Might Need_... And thank you to all who have this story on story alert! You guys rock too!


	17. KHz

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17. kHz (kilohertz)

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Marcus hated the winter months. He loved the snow, he loved the cold, but he hated the dryness. Whenever he touched something metal or a person he would receive a shock. He used it as a weapon on occasion, but for the most part it was just annoying, mostly because only he was shocked. There was one time that Percy had taken initiative, but he was shocked on the lips. After that, Percy refused Marcus's kisses until spring.

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Thank you to my lovely reviewers! Don't Panic, imakeeper, and Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy. Whee! You guys are awesome! 


	18. Superstar

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7. superstar

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Marcus was good at whatever he did. No matter how large or small the task, if he wanted it done, it would be done quickly and done well. Percy liked that about Marcus: he was efficient, he was ambitious. Percy himself was ambitious but lacked the confidence to do as Marcus did. When Marcus applied for a job he was accepted to his top choice without hesitation. Marcus even had room for pay negotiations. Percy was just happy that he had a job.

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A big thank you to Mikhyel, Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy, darkestNoir, Don't Panic, and imakeeper! I love you guys!


	19. Gardenia

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11. gardenia

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"Marcus! This has gone too far!"

"You don't like my flowers?"

"I have nothing against the flowers and everything against the intent behind the flowers and the giver of said flowers!"

"You don't like my flowers, then?"

"Arg! No. The flowers – from YOU – are… they're meaningless!"

"I don't understand."

"Don't use that smug tone. They mean purity. You are as far from pure as they come… Ugh! Don't leer like that…Oh! I didn't mean it… I meant that you're not pure."

"Ironic, isn't it?"

"You just don't… the irony – it's… Merlin, I hate you!"

"I'm giving you the flowers, Weasley: you're the pure one, albeit dense."

"Oh… thanks."

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Thanks to my reviewers! imakeeper, Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy, and Don't Panic. You guys are sooo cool!

As for Marcus being brilliant but being held back a year - I'm usually under the impression that it was because he liked to beat on small children, and it had nothing to do with acedemics.


	20. In A Good Mood

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12. in a good mood

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Percy had just received a hefty promotion. A _hefty_ promotion. And it was actually for something that he enjoyed. No more of the secretary shite. His mood was highly contagious as he spread face-splitting smiles all around the Ministry. One errand Percy had to run that day brought him to the Department of Internal Investigation where Marcus Flint was struggling to solve a very troublesome case with no leads. He was irked when Percy bounded into his office and placed a piece of parchment on his desk. He looked down at it crossly, irritated that Percy had not just flown the parchment down to him. While Marcus was distracted, Percy kissed his nose and bounded out of the office. Oh, that was why.

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Thank you to my lovely reviewers! Don't Panic, imakeeper, Mikhyel, Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy, and darkerstNoir.

As for my Marcus... he's just snarky. If he were cute his entire edge would be gone, and he needs to remain a bastard... he's just a bastard whose weakness is Percy.


	21. RadioCassette Player

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14. radio-cassette player

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Percy was having dinner with two of his coworkers. They were at a nice outdoor café in London enjoying the summer weather. It was raining but the patio was magicked to keep the rain from coming down on it: there was a magic canopy hanging from the second story that repelled the rain. Percy was treating his coworkers to dinner in honor of his promotion. His coworkers eventually left. Percy decided to stay and watch the rain as he sipped his tea. His coworkers had family to return home to, Percy did not.

Percy was so absorbed in the rain and his tea that he did not notice a person approach him. He did notice when Marcus took the seat across from him. No words passed between them.

Marcus' hand delved into his pocket, and he pulled out a small Muggle contraption.

"For your father," Marcus explained.

Percy took it curiously, examining it from every angle.

"What is it?"

"It plays captured radio waves."

"Is it cursed?"

"No."

Percy smiled: Marcus had remembered his father's birthday. Percy had been trying to find a gift for ages.

"Come to my flat and show me how it works."

Marcus complied.

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Thanks to Don't Panic and imakeeper! And everyone who's reviewed thus far. You guys are amazing.

I developed my Percy in Superstars which was written directly after the first book - so he wasn't a total bastard then, just annoying. So I kinda ignore OotP and HBP when it comes to Percy's character. As you can tell, this post has nothing to do with either OotP and HBP as Percy is on speaking terms with his father.


	22. Say Ahh

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18. "say ahh..."

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When Percy was ten he had a serious illness that no one had understood. He had combated it alone and, quite obviously, had won. Now here it was, fifteen years later, and Percy had the first illness he had caught since then. And it was a simple cold. Percy was furious. Not only did he need to take time off from work, but Marcus had taken it upon himself to nurse Percy back to health… in the most humiliating and degrading way possible. Marcus had this weird apron kink that Percy never understood. But when Marcus wore an apron and nothing more, Percy found that quirk was not as bad as some other potential kink.

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A big thanks out to all my reviewers! Don't Panic, imakeeper, and Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy. Of course that's not all they were doing at Percy's flat - Marcus still has to congratulate Percy on his promotion. ;)

And in the last chapter, I said that I developed my Percy after the first book - that's incorrect: it was the fourth book. Sorry guys.


	23. Wada Calcium CD3

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28. Wada Calcium CD3 

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"What the hell is this?" Percy demanded, waving about a bottle of pills.

"A bottle of pills," Marcus responded nonchalantly, not even looking up from his _Daily Prophet_.

Percy pursed his lips in aggravation. "Yes, it is. Now, what is it for and why do you have it?"

Marcus looked up. "That bottle is for pills. You see they now have this convenient holding case as to not lose pills or spill them unnecessarily."

"Marcus," Percy said evenly. Marcus had become too familiar with that voice; Percy had used it to be intimidating, but it just made him sound ridiculous.

"Read the bottle, Percy," he sighed.

"Marcus, why do you have a bottle of birth control pills?"

"Birth control pills don't come in bottles, Percy."

"And yet you have a bottle of birth control pills. Why?"

"My sister left them over," Marcus explained with a shrug.

"And why have you not returned them?"

"I like the sugar pills."

"Ew!"

"Don't be such a girl, Percy."

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This is one of the last few humorous parts: it becomes serious from here on out (with one exception). So enjoy this.

Thank you to my lovely reviewers! Don't Panic, imakeeper, and Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy. I think I may have to draw an image of Marcus in an apron...


	24. Our Own World

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8. our own world

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Percy sighed as he looked up at the clouded sky. He recognized that rain would be falling shortly, but he could not bring himself to care. Rain was the least of his worries: there was a war being waged. He was shortly joined by Marcus. Marcus didn't care about the rain either. Marcus did care about Percy, whether Percy was aware of it or not was a separate story altogether. Percy cared about Marcus too, but he never shared that information. Marcus knew about that anyway. Together they watched the lightning strike.

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Thanks to my reviewers: imakeeper, Don't Panic, Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy, FallenShateiel, and everyone who has this story on alert.

I should have explained this last chapter, but sugar pills come with birth control pills: they are the placebo.


	25. Cradle

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22. cradle

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Percy was gingerly holding a baby dragon in his arms.

"Marcus, why can't you just hold her?" Percy whined.

"Because your brother asked you to hold her… And she keeps your hands occupied so that I can do this and you can't hit me." Marcus kissed Percy soundly.

The dragon was in opposition to being squished and lit Marcus's robes on fire.

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This is the last of the humorous fics. From here on out it's not going to be humorous. I just felt the need to warn you all.


	26. The Road Home

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20. the road home

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Percy's promotion meant that his path had once again changed from what he had originally intended. Once he had wanted to become Minster of Magic, now he just wanted a job he loved that didn't receive much attention. Percy had discovered that he loathed the limelight. He had… he had forgotten about what he wanted from his life, and his promotion helped set him back on track. Marcus helped too. It was difficult to give the other boy credit, but he had been there for most of the ride. Percy knew that when the ride was over, Marcus would still be there. And that made him happy. Because when it came down to the final days, it wouldn't matter what job either had held, it just mattered that they held onto each other.

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Thanks to wolkevonpinguinand everyone welse who's reviewed! I think something is screwy with the alerts on this site: they're not sending them out for some strange reason.


	27. News

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2. news; letter

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_Dearest Marcus,_

_We must cease this sordid affair. You and I cannot risk exposure for reasons that both you and I are aware of. There is more at stake than our exposure as well, and we must not be so selfish as to ignore the welfare of others. ---- Please, Marcus! You know how much I love --- I need to --- Merlin knows, we cannot continue. But then you look at me with those smoldering eyes --- Merlin, Marcus! One of my brothers is dead! He could have very easily been me or you! Not that I didn't love my own brother. I'm so selfish. We cannot --- I must stop seeing you. And you must stop apparating into my flat and assaulting me with scorching kisses. You know how weak my resistance is. That said, please desist. _

_Sincerely and with much love and conviction,_

_Percy_

Percy looked down at the message his QuikQuotes Quill had scrawled out.

"Bugger."

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Thank you to everyone! wolkevonpinguin, imakeeper, and Don't Panic especially.

And just as a warning - there will be death in this fic. And not just one of Percy's brothers as mentioned above: there will be more.


	28. Violence

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21. violence; pillage/plunder; extortion

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Marcus stood outside what had originally been the Burrow. Some of the crossbeams were still glowing embers. A salamander crawled passed his right foot, looking up at him curiously. Marcus ran a hand through his hair with a tortured sigh. It was painfully obvious that he was too late to warn anyone of the destruction. He knew that there were only two people at the Burrow that day: Percy and Molly Weasley. With a frustrated growl, Marcus turned on his heel.

Molly Weasley stood behind him. How she had managed to sneak up on him, Marcus wasn't sure. She had a violet bruise blossoming on her cheek and a dollop of blood smeared across her chin. Marcus looked pleadingly into her grey eyes.

She shook her head and enveloped him in a tight hug, tenderly kissing the top of his head.

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	29. Overflow

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27. overflow

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Marcus felt his throat constrict. It was a foreign feeling along with the emptiness in his chest. When saline flooded into his eyes, Marcus knew what it meant, but he'd be damned if he was going to let those tears escape his eyes. He was stronger than that and everyone believed it.

Molly told him to let it out, that it was healthier, and Marcus obeyed.

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	30. Kiss

Bruises and Books

**A/N**: This chapter is not in chronological order.

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30. kiss

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"Percy."

"Mm?"

"I'm going to kiss you."

"No. No, you're not."

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because I'm busy."

"When has that stopped me before?"

"Marcus, just don't."

"Too late!"

"Bastard."

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Well, that is the end. A huge thank you to everyone who's read and will read and an even bigger thank you to everyone who has and will review! Don't Panic, imakeeper, darkestNoir, wolkevonpinguin, Mikhyel, Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy, FallenShateiel, -x-Kimmy-x-, and MidEarthHighLanders. It's been a great month. See you guys next time!


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